Apparatus for the removal of material in a bottom die plate for use in the preparation of box blanks of paper board or similar material



Jan. 26, 1965 G. RUUD 3,166

APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF MATERIAL IN A BOTTOM DIE PLAT FOR us THE PREPARATION OF BOX BLANKS OF R BOARD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL Filed Sept. 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l fare/77%!" Jan. 26, 1965 G. RUUD 3,166,984

APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF MATERIAL IN A BOTTOM DIE PLATE FOR USE IN THE PREPARATION OF BOX BLANKS OF PAPER BOARD 0R SIMILAR MATERIAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 26, 1962 I L m 7 w M p w 7 om d M fl 6 /.v a 116 m G w 4 I F 1 WOW. m 2 W M? u y m z 3/ l M1 (F/\(l\L s n" 9 f United States Patent 3,166,984 APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF MATERIAL IN A BOTTOM DIE PLATE FOR USE IN THE PREPARATION OF BOX BLANKS OF PAPER BOARD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL Gunuar Ruud, Tuneveien 46, Sarpsborg, Norway Filed Sept. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 226,252 Claims priority, application Norway, Sept. 30, 1961, 141,640 3 Claims. (Cl. 90--12) The present invention relates to apparatus for the removal of material from a bottom die plate in a press employed in the preparation of blanks for boxes made of paper board, carton, plastic or similar material; and in particular for the formation of grooves which serve to form score lines in the blank, along which the blank may be folded to the desired box shape, as well as for the chamfering of the plate edges which correspond to the marginal contours of the blank. The stamping of the box blank is usually performed by means of a stamp press, wherein the top die is provided with knives corresponding to the marginal contours of the blank, and projecting edges, so-called folding line rules, for the formation of crease or score lines inside of the contours of the blank. The contour knives co-operate with the marginal edges or slots in the bottom die, while the folding line rules co-operate with grooves formed in a plate which is secured, as by glueing to the top face of the bottom die.

The formation of such grooves in the bottom die plate has, up till now, been cumbersome and has given rather unaccurate results. In a usual method, the grooves are cut out in the plate material by means of a manually operated knife. Thus, it is as a rule necessary to make several cuts in order to obtain the desired width and depth of the groove, and as the groove width varies with the thickness of the blank material to be treated, it is difficult, even for the most skilled operator to produce grooves which are accurately shaped along their entire length and similar to each other. The work also is disproportionally time consuming. This method is, as mentioned, the method which is most commonly used, but as a material which is to be cut with a knife cannot be very hard, the grooves are comparatively quickly worn so that when a great number of box blanks is to be prepared, it is necessary to replace the bottom die plate rather often.

In another method, the bottom die plate is provided, as by glueing, with strips of a profiled cross section, so that the plate with applied strips presents the desired grooves. In a third method, the bottom die plate is provided with steel bands which are applied one beside the other with spacings corresponding to the desired grooves.

All the methods referred to require great accuracy, they are time consuming and, furthermore, it is diflicult to obtain the degree of accuracy of the folding score lines in the box blanks which is requiredduring the subsequent treatment of the blanks in automatic folding and packing machinery.

. The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for the removal of material, such as the formation of the grooves in the bottom die plate in a quicker and more accurate manner than hitherto possible, at the same time making it possible to use plates of a material which is hard and resistant to wear, such as hard plastic and metal, such as aluminium.

According to the invention, this is achieved by producing an apparatus comprising an elongated guide member which is adapted to be supported by and manually displaceable along the surface of the plate to be treated and which carries a slide member which is slidable longitudinally of the guide member and comprises a base plate member and a plate member which is adjustable in a 3,166,984 Fatenterl Jan. 26, 1965 "ice direction at right angles to the supporting face of the guide member and which also supports a shaft which extends at right angles to the direction of length of the guide member and carries a rotatable cutting tool, the cutting edge of which corresponds to the Width of the recess to be formed.

The guide member preferably is formed with a rulelike side edge and with guide beds guiding the displacements of the slide member, so that it is easy to set the apparatus as a whole in the correct position relatively to the recess, such as a notch or score to be formed, and also to displace the slide member rectilinearly relatively to the straight rule edge.

For the purpose of enabling the cutting tool to be swung upwardly from position of engagement with the plate to be treated, the slide member conveniently is provided with a pivot extending at right angles to the rule edge of the guide member, so that the part carrying the cutting tool is pivotably secured to the displaceable slide proper. Thus, it may also be convenient to provide the slide member and the pivotable part which carries the cutting tool, with cooperating adjustment means, so that their relative position and thereby the vertical position of the cutting tool may be set, and hence the depth to which the cutting tool attacks the plate to be treated.

In connection with the pivotable arrangement of the part which carries the cutting tool, it may also be convenient to interpose resilient means between the slide member and the pivotable part, so that the latter is always tending to adopt a predetermined, preferably a more or less raised position. By this means it is ensured that the latter part, together with the cutting tool is automatically moved out of engagement with the underlying plate when the apparatus is inactive.

For the purpose of facilitating the adjustment of the apparatus relatively to the centre line of the recess to be formed, the apparatus according to the invention may be equipped with an indicating pointer which is carried by the slide member at the same side of the same where the cutting tool is mounted and extending in a plane parallel to the rule edge of the guide member, by being carried by a rod which extends at right angles to the said rule edge and which may be turned about its axis and displaced in its direction of length. Thus, the indicating pointer may be adjusted to have its point in the centre plane of the cutting tool and be turned downwardly towards the plate to be treated so that it is possible, by displacement of the apparatus as a whole to set the centre plane of the cutting tool accurately in the centre line of the recess to be formed.

The invention is now to be more fully described with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is illustrating, by means of a vertical sec.- tional view, how a folding notch is formed by means of a stamp press.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a machine according to the invention, placed in working position on a bottom die plate.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus, taken along the line III-III in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 4 is a view of the apparatus, as seen in the direction of the arrow IV in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the apparatus.

FIGURE 6 is a view of the apparatus as seen in the direction of the arrow VIVI in FIGURE 5, with a base plate in a second embodiment.

FIGURE 7 is an axial sectional View of a particularly shaped milling cutter.

In FIGURE 1, the numeral 1 indicates a bottom die and 2 a top die of a press for the stamping of box blanks. The bottom die 1 is provided with a cover plate 3 which is secured to the bottom die 1, as by glueing, and in which a groove 4 is formed, whil he top die 2 is provided with a folding line rule 5 positioned in accordance with the position of the groove 4. A box blank 6 to be prepared is placed in the press. When the top die 2 is approaching the bottom die, as shown to the right in FIGURE 1, the ruleS will force the material of the blank 6 into the groove 5, so that the blank is provided with a corresponding folding notch or score.

FIGURE 2 shows a plate 3 which is preformed with contour lines 7 and folding scores 8 corresponding to the box blank 6. The figure illustrates, highly schematically, an apparatus according to the invention comprising a guide member or strip 9, the ruling edge 1d of which is positioned parallel to one of the lines 3 and which supports a slide member 11 which is displaceable along the member 9 parallel to the edge 11) by manually gripping the operating knob 12. The member 11 is provided with the rotatable tool or milling cutter 13 for the formation of a groove or score 4 in the plate 3, and with an indicating pointer 14 which is positioned in the rotational plane of the tool 13 at the end of a transverse rod 15 which is moveable in its own direction and turnable about its axis, the purpose of the pointer 14 being to facilitate the accurate positioning of the edge and thereby of the tool 13 relatively to a line 7 or 8. The details of the apparatus and the functioning of the same are to be further explained with reference to the FlGURES 3 to 7.

As shown in more detail in FIGURES 3 to 6, the guide member 9 is provided with longitudinal guide beds 16 for the slide 11. The slide 11 consists of two parts 111 and 112 which are hingedly connected by a pintle or pivot pin 17 which extends at a right angle to the direction of the edge 11?. The knob 12 is located on the pivoted top part 112, which also is provided with a tubular bearing sleeve 18 which receives a transverse sleeve 19 which forms a bearing for a shaft 21 which, at one end, carries the replaceable milling cutter 13 and, at the other end, is connected to a flexible shaft 21 for the operation of the milling cutter from a suitable motor, which is not shown, the operation being presumed to be performed with a very high number of revolutions, of the order of 12,000 rev./min.

For the purpose of accurately setting the milling cutter 13 in the vertical direction, in order thereby to obtain just the desired depth of the groove 4 to be formed by the cutter 13, the parts 111 and 112 of the slide 11 are interconnected through an adjustment means on the side remote from the pivot 17. This adjustment means comprises a horizontal pin 22 in screw threaded engagement with the part 111 and provided with a tapered point 23. The point 23 is adapted to co-operate with the end of a vertical adjustment pin 24 which is in screw thread engagement with the top part 112 and is provided with a rounded end 25 and, at the other end, with a knurled disc 27 having a graduation 28, FIGURE 5, which together with marks 29 on the face of the part 112 facilitates an accurate setting of the screw 24 and thereby of the parts 111 and 112 relatively to each other, and thereby of the vertical position of the milling cutter 13. The setting of the disc 27 is secured by means of a set screw provided with a head 26. Between' the parts 111 and 112, there is also arranged a resilient means 31 having adjustment screws 31, so that the'parts 111 and 112 are automatically moved apart when no pressure is applied to the grip 12, to such an extent that the lower edge of the mill 13 is posh tioned higher than the lower surface of the guide member 9 and, consequently, out of engagement with a plate 3 on Which the apparatus may be placed. The apparatus is then freely moveable along the surface of the plate 3 for the purpose of positioning the same along a desired line 7 or 8, without injuring the plate 3 by the tool 13. When the apparatus is to be used, a tool 13 corresponding to the desired shape of a groove or score 4 tobe formed, is placed on the shaft 211 and the pin 24 is adjusted by means of the knob 26 on the scale line 27 corresponding to the desired groove depth. The member 9 with the slide 11 etc. is then so positioned that the edge 11) is extending approximately parallel to one of the predrawn lines 7 or 8, whereupon the pointer 14 is adjusted against the cutting edge of the tool 13 with which the apparatus is provided in the particular case, by so displacing the rod 15 in its direction of length that the point 14 is located accurately opposite the middle of the cutting edge of the tool, i.e. in the plane XX of FIGURE 4. The rod 15 is secured in its direction of length by means of a screw 32. The point 14 is then turned downwardly into contact with the plate 3 in the pro-drawn line 7 or 8 and secured by means of a set screw 33. While there after moving the slide 11 along the member 9, the latter is gradually transversely displaced in such a manner that the point 14 follows the line 7 or S in question, along the entire length of the same.

When the apparatus is set in this manner, the slide 11 is returned to the beginning of the line 7 or 3 in question, and the tool 13 is started, the part 112 is forced downwardly by applying manual pressure on the knob 12 and carried along the member until the groove 4 is cut in the Whole length of the line 7 or ti. When then releasing the knob 12, the part 112 is raised from the part 111 and the slide 11 may, as a whole, be returned to the end of the member 9, with the tool 13 out of engagement with the plate 3. The apparatus is then ready to be transferred to a position adapted for the cutting of another line 7 or 8.

It may be convenient to provide the slide 11 with a number of alternative members 9, of different lengths, for the purpose of using the apparatus for the cutting of scores in blanks of different dimensions, i.e. with lines 7 and 8 of different lengths.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 6, the member 9 is replaced by a base plate 34 which is secured to the part 111 by means of set screws 35 and which is provided with supports or feet 36 extending beyond the bottom surface 37 of the base plate 34, to an extent equal to the distance between the cutting edge 38 of the tool 13, in the depressed position of the part 112, and the bottom surface of the member 9. In this embodiment, the apparatus is adapted to be freely displaceable under manual control, for the purpose of removing maten'al from a plate 3 in the zones corresponding to the contours of the blank.

The cutting tool 13, which is shown in the preceding figures, is here replaced by a tool 39 having a rounded profile shown in FIGURE 7. The purpose of the removal of th material in the zones indicated is to facilitate the operation of the knives mounted in the top die 2 to chamfer the box blank along the contour lines, in order to obtain more clean cutting lines. In this embodiment, the apparatus may also be used for the treatment of plates 3 which are curved along cylindrical surfaces of great radius of curvature, such as indicated at R in FIGURE 7.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for the removal of material from the bottom plate of a box blank press, to form grooves and depressions used in the formation of score lines and the trimming of contours of box blanks, said apparatus comprising an elongated guide strip adapted to be disposed upon a bottom plate, a trough providedin said guide strip and a slide member disposed for straight line sliding movement along the guide strip, said slide member comprising two superposed substantially conterminous plate members, the lower plate member confined for movements within said trough, a pintle extending at right angles with the direction of length of the guide strip and pivotally interconnecting the upper and lower plate members along one edge of said slide member, a rotary shaft carried by' the upper plate member at a point spaced horizontally from said pintle and a rotary cutting tool mounted on a projecting end of said shaft, resilient means adjacent the edge of said slide member opposite to the pivot edge 5 urging the plate members apart and thus the upper plate member upwardly away from the guide member and the press plate to be cut, a rotatable settable screw device threaded through the upper plate member, and an abutment member carried by said lower plate against which the lower end of said screw device presses, whereby the depression of the upper plate member and thus of the tool into the press plate against the urging of the resilient means is determined by the setting of the screw device.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a gripping knob is carried by said upper plate member and means is also provided for adjusting the position of said abutment on said lower plate member.

3. An apparatus for the removal of material from the bottom plate of a box blank press, to form grooves and depressions used in the formation of score lines and the trimming of contours of box blanks, said apparatus comprising an elongated guide strip adapted to be disposed upon a bottom plate in general alignment with guiding groove and contour lines inscribed on said plate, a lower member slidable on the guide strip and an upper member pivotally connected to said lower member, a pivot extending transversely to the direction of length of said guide strip and interconnecting the lower member and the upper member, resilient means mounted between said lower member and said upper member, a shaft rotatably mounted in the upper member transversely to the direction of length of said guide strip, a rotary cutting tool mounted on said shaft, a tracing means on said slide member for accurately positioning said cutting tool along one of the lines inscribed on said press plate, said tracing means comprising a rod extending transversely to the direction of length of the said guide strip and being rotatably and axially mounted in said lower member, and an indicating pointer integrally connected to said rod and extending at an angle to the axis thereof, and means for adjusting and securing said rod in rotative and axial directions to align with the center of the cutting tool and with said inscribed lines.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 570,079 10/96 Wooster 90-12 X 1,359,288 11/20 Swain et a1 9O12 2,219,467 10/40 Booth 90-12 WILLIAM W. DYER, IR., Primary Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF MATERIAL FROM THE BOTTOM PLATE OF A BOX BLANK PRESS, TO FORM GROOVES AND DEPRESSIONS USED IN THE FORMATION OF SCORE LINES AN THE TRIMMING OF CONTOURS OF BOX BLANKS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED GUIDE STRIP ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED UPON A BOTTOM PLATE, A TROUGH PROVIDED IN SAID GUIDE STRIP AND A SLIDE MEMBER DISPOSED FOR STRAIGHT LINE SLIDING MOVEMENT ALONG THE GUIDE STRIP, SAID SLIDE MEMBER COMPRISING TWO SUPERPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY CONTERMINOUS PLATE MEMBERS, THE LOWER PLATE MEMBER CONFINED FOR MOVEMENTS WITHIN SAID TROUGH, A PINTLE EXTENDING AT RIGHT ANGLES WITH THE DIRECTION OF LENGTH OF THE GUIDE STRIP AND PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTING THE UPPER AND LOWER PLATE MEMBERS ALONG ONE EDGE OF SAID SLIDE MEMBER, A ROTARY SHAFT CARRIED BY THE UPPER PLATE MEMBER AT A POINT SPACED HORIZONTALLY FROM SAID PINTLE AND A ROTARY CUTTING TOOL MOUNTED ON 